The second of the Major Arcana is the Magician or Magi.
It is attributed to the letter Beth and referred to as “House” inferring a kind of containment.
Although it is indeed the second of the cards
it is given the number “one” and the rest of the Keys follow in succession.

Classically it is an image of a youth before a table.
Upon it: the Disk, Cup and Sword with his right hand above holding the wand
and his left hand point to the earth.
Attributed to Mercury,
the Magi is Spirit acting as communication between Matter and Persona:
lighting fast and with absolute celerity.

Unlike the Fool before him,
the Magi knows his purpose and harnesses himself to be the focus of his will:
“making it so”.
The Magi reviews the tools at hand
and makes his life manifest in the way he envisions it.

In MetaPlace
I have created a Virtual Garden that frames each of the Major Arcana.
For the Magi I have created an animation that illustrates
the gathering of energy and the focusing of intent.
The piece is suspended in air,
giving the impression that the process has not yet grounded
– in an every flowing process of manifestation.

In designing the Magi Amulet
I have stripped away everything that would distract one from the core meaning.
The image of the pointing hand:
focusing intent and making manifest one’s own potential.
Magi Amulet is to help one focus on one’s work,
study or bringing a project to fruition: manifesting one’s goals.

The Magi Amulet may be used as a Talisman
or it may be used as a part of a Three dimensional Tarot DeckThe Tarot Casters
created and developed
by Kirk McLaren
of Amulets by Merlin

Each of the Major Arcana are extremely complex
giving them simple definitions alludes to a shallow view of them.
In truth, each card represents concepts best described in stories.
For example,
the Lovers Card
is often illustrated by the story of Perseus and Andromeda
(the more recent movie “Clash of the Titans”
actually changes the ancient story with a very different outcome).
Each step of the story is a description of the alchemical formula
to Unite the Self: the Sacred Marriage of One’s Being.
Knowing that One could argue each card is a mix of various “tones”,
each describing an aspect of the self in detail.
However, to describe the Resonances,
let us consider each of the Major Arcana as a Unique Tone unto itself.

In the Second Resonance,
the three tones are The High Priestess, The Hermit and The Tower.
These three tones form a Resonance or chord of concepts.
When played together,
they describe a mode of being.
In this case the High Priestess
helps us recall our personal experience as well as the lore
(history)
of both people and our planet.
This Knowledge base is harnessed by The Hermit
(Consciousness set into Action: the Hand of God).
Note: The Hermit acts independently from the crowd, influence from movements,
culture and other Human perspectives do not recruit him;
thus the Hermit is “independent” in his actions.
Finally: the third tone is The Tower.
Action inspires re-action and brings Realization:
consequences.
This pulls together everything before it and provides
a better perspective of the world One lives in.
It implies such lessons like “don’t build huge structures on sand”
which applies to metaphorical scenarios
as well as actual physical situations.
It also demonstrates what happens when you build a structure on a bedrock of lies;
hence the card’s relation to Peh
(the Hebrew letter related to “the mouth”).

When viewed together,
this and the other Resonances or Chords
teach us valuable lessons about how to live,
it weeds out unnecessary, unwanted and self destructive patterns.
When viewed this way it is the Foundation of Ethics:How One Lives.
In the Second Resonance,
we learn the importance of making Truth a way of life,
how telling and living lies will undermine everything you do,
turn others against you and pull the material world on your head.Resonance offers a solution to the problem and provides a Way of Being
which will avoid such problems,
offering you growth and development.
Knowing the History and Lore (the High Priestess)
gives you a guideline of what others have done and the consequences which follow.
Walking the Path of these lessons places you on a narrow,
yet extremity long and full-fulling journey of life.
Nothing is without it’s pitfalls,
thus The Tower continually reminds One of any short sightedness
and destroys preconceptions that are erroneous,
providing us with a new start to re-build a stronger perspective,
closer to the Truth.
This resonance holds all three together into one triad,
each supporting the other.

When studying the series,
it is best to take them in sequence: One’s Self being the Fool in this journey of life,
taking them one at a time we may master the lessons and benefit from them.
Once One understands the concepts and set them into motion in life,
we discover they are being presented all at once or in clusters
and to Come Correct is as natural step forward.

I encourage you to set the cards in the Grand Spread
and review each of the Seven Resonances
see how each of these Card Combinations revel The Truth.

This is the Seventh of a series of articles examining the Major Arcana
using the Grand Spread
(three groups of seven, the Fool being separate)
to better understand and harness ourselves,
our talent, intelligence, experience and gifts.

The Chariot
From the single point of consciousness of The Magician
(the ability to focus on the Now)
to The High Priestess
(the depth of Memory);
to The Empress
(visualize the future)
to The Emperor
(logic and perception, activation)
to The Heirophant:
(Intuition, the Inner Authority)
to The Lovers:
The Dynamic Balance between the Aspects of Being
manifests The Chariot:
the containment of all of these things;
the Sacred Circle that is everywhere at once.
This defines what Is so one may harness it,
grow with it.
This represents the Discipline needed to undertake anything of value.

TemperanceSagittarius

In the second line underneath The Lovers we find

Temperance
This is the Art of Life itself.
Here we combine portions of Being into something new:
aspects that appear opposite to each other combining into objects,
music, thoughts and feelings the very way we live our lives.

The UniverseSaturn

In the third row under Temperance is

The Universe
All at once both the finite and infinite:
the limits of what we know and then some.
It is the Great Dance of All Things of which we are all a part.
This is the sum total of all the cards brought to realization so that which we “know”
is always expanding.

The first level reveals the position (The Chariot)
for the personal,
the second position (Temperance)
reveals the environment in which we work
and the third position (the Universe)
demonstrates how we may apply what we have learned.

It is in this Final Resonance.
In The Chariot we define our purpose,
in Temperance we Manifest the Vision,
in the Universe we Connect with All Things.
The Three Keys together create the Great Work of our lives.
Once going through a deep understanding of each of the Resonances,
the Seventh becomes a natural step on one’s life.
This resonance holds all three together into one triad,
each supporting the other.
Place these three cards together and observe the delicate balance produced.
Set these cards on your alter,
use them as meditations,
place them in your pocket or wear the combination as amulets.

This is the Sixth of a series of articles examining the Major Arcana
using the Grand Spread
(three groups of seven, the Fool being separate)
to better understand and harness ourselves,
our talent, intelligence, experience and gifts.

The Lovers
From the single point of consciousness ofThe Magician
(the ability to focus on the Now)
to The High Priestess
(the depth of Memory);
to the Empress
(visualize the future)
to the Emperor (logic and perception, activation)
to the Heirophant:
(Intuition, the Inner Authority)
manifests the Lovers:
The Dynamic Balance between the conscious, sub-conscious and super-conscious.
The active point of focus relying on the sub- to act as both a conduit for the super-;
and as a medium to explore possibilities, equipped with the imagination.

In the second line underneath the Lovers we find

DeathScorpio

Death.
This is the point of transition.
Death brings a finality to things and provides the beginning of something else.
Death implies re-birth,
but it also brings an end to unnecessary or unwanted patterns.
Death is both grievous and transcendent,
inspiring new ways of perception and activity.

In the third row under Death is

Judgement ~Baptismal Fire~

JudgmentBaptismal Fire.
This card is the Philosophers Stone:
transforming Lead (as we Are) into Gold (what we Will Be).
Heating the facets of our being:
physical, emotional, mental and spiritual,
pushing the envelope with effort and stress,
building endurance.
Then combining into One Being.

The first level reveals the position (The Lovers) for the personal,
the second position (Death) reveals the environment in which we work
and the third position (Judgment)
demonstrates how we may apply what we have learned.

Knowing what One is,
the possibilities of what May One Become is Revealed
requiring the rooting out and discarding of unwanted habits,
environment, relation ships (etc.)
become apparent and the uncomfortable but necessary process
of cleaning and disposing of these unhealthy influences and activities commences.
Then the Burning away the final unwanted wood
provides an amalgamation of the Self into a New Being.
This resonance holds all three together into one triad,
each supporting the other.
Place these three cards together and observe the delicate balance produced.
Set these cards on your alter,
use them as meditations, place them in your pocket or wear the combination as amulets.

This is the Fifth of a series of articles examining the Major Arcana
using the Grand Spread
(three groups of seven, the Fool being separate)
to better understand and harness ourselves, our talent, intelligence,
experience and gifts.

The Heirophant
From the single point of consciousness of The Magician
(the ability to focus on the Now)
to The High Priestess
(the depth of Memory: personal and ancestral);
to the Empress
(visualize the future)
to the Emperor
(logic and reason, knowing how things are; sets things in motion)
manifests the Heirophant:
Intuition: the Inner Authority, the connection between one Self and the Greater Unconsciousness.

The Hanged ManBaptismal Water

In the second line underneath the Heirophant we find

The Hanged Man.
The suspension of consciousness
amid the Akashic waters of the Great Unconsciousness:
the sum total of all things living.
Like floating in the ocean,
One has a very thin membrane between the inner “waters”
of our flesh and blood and the outer Sea.
It is easy to become lost in this vast expanse of consciousness,
but only Here may one truly know the Totality of Being.

The Sun

In the third row under the Hanged Man is

The Sun
The Face of God.
With perception limited to physical brains and the language
we use to describe something so vast,
we can only grasp what is familiar to us.
As the sun is too bright to look at directly,
and we describe it as a “face”,
so too the attempt to understand the thoughts of the Almighty
may only be described with words we already know.
Comprehending our limitation
opens the possibility of understanding
more than we are capable of describing.

The first level reveals the position
(the Heirophant) for the personal,
the second position
(The Hanged Man)
reveals the environment in which we work
and the third position
(The Sun)
demonstrates how we may apply what we have learned.

Knowing who and what One is,
all of the facts available,
the ability to understand possibilities
and implement a logical response,
One’s Intuition makes all the connections
based on what is Real
and produces perception normally unassailable.
Suspending disbelief,
examining possibilities,
discarding erroneous supposition
we observe the Unknown
and see it without preconceptions,
allowing the Truth to become evident.
This resonance holds all three together into one triad,
each supporting the other.
Place these three cards together
and observe the delicate balance produced.
Set these cards on your alter,
use them as meditations,
place them in your pocket
or wear the combination as amulets.

This is the Fourth of a series of articles examining the Major Arcana using the Grand Spread
(three groups of seven, the Fool being separate)
to better understand and harness ourselves,
our talent, intelligence, experience and gifts.An introduction is found in First Resonance.

Next to the Empress is the Fourth card:

The EmperorAries

The Emperor
From the single point of consciousness of The Magician
(the ability to focus on the Now)
to The High Priestess
(the depth of Memory: personal and ancestral);
to the Empress
(the ability to visualize the future)
manifests the Emperor:
comprehension of process provides the power of logic and reason
(the ability to see from past to future)
knowing how things are and how they work he then sets things in motion.

In the second line underneath the Emperor we find

JusticeLibra

Justice:the Law
as it applies to the individual and to all of creation.
Again, this is not human Justice,
rather the interaction we have with the laws of physics: Karma.Karma in it’s literal sense means doing:
the result of a basic physical reaction to one’s actions;Karma is the result of what one does.
“Good” Karma (in the classical sense)
is when one learns from one’s mistakes:
one recognizes how the situation manifests
and understand the process of cause and effect on one’s life.

In the third row under Justice is the

The MoonPisces

Moon: One’s Life Path.
It’s source is where we climb out of the primordial soup,
evolve beyond the most basic drives of sex and dominance,
territory and narcissism to a better understanding of one’s self and the world.
We learn how at times the path is clear and we rejoice;
other times the path is obscured and we must rely on our understanding
of what Is and keep our faith in the path we walk.

The first level reveals the position
(the Emperor) for the personal,
the second position (Justice) reveals the environment in which we work
and the third position (the Moon)
demonstrates how we may apply what we have learned.

Aligned with the Emperor,
Justice and the Moon,
the Fool is placed directly above them.
This is no accident.
It infers the necessary open mind this column requires.
The Emperor need to see “truly” in order for him to function at his optimum.
Justice must not lean too heavily on unrelated concepts to offer a balanced result.
The path offered by the Moon requires a clear head
and no misconceptions or prejudice
in order to move forward in one’s life.

Now that we know the process of cause and effect,
understand the parameters of how to manifest the future,
we activate our Will to make it so.
Tending and carefully monitoring our progress
we develop fail-safes to keep things in motion
and avoid the mistakes of short-sightedness.
Each action and response creates another step on our path of life.
This resonance holds all three together into one triad,
each supporting the other.
Place these three cards together and observe the delicate balance produced.
Set these cards on your alter,
use them as meditations,
place them in your pocket
or wear the combination as amulets.

This is the Third of a series of articles
examining the Major Arcana using the Grand Spread
(three groups of seven, the Fool being separate)
to better understand and harness ourselves, our talent,
intelligence, experience and gifts.An introduction is found in First Resonance.

From the single point of consciousness of The Magician
(the ability to focus on the Now)
to The High Priestess
(the depth of the Past, Memory: personal and ancestral);
manifests the Empress combining the single pointed consciousness with the depth of memory:
the ability to visualize the future.

This is not human law,
rather it is the framework on how reality manifests.
The image is that of a wheel turning amid the elements,
causing a blending of all of it’s permutation.
In the center I have placed an eye,
giving the wheel a steady point in which one may be able to examine the process
without being caught up in it.
Most of us are on the edge of the wheel experiencing the ups and downs of material possession,
mood, health and so on.
By centering one’s Self ( a meditation often taught in Martial arts)
one may calm the heart and mind
and allow one’s perception to reveal things as they are
rather than how one wants it to be.

The StarAquarius

In the third row we find the Star:
the process of meditation itself.Tzaddi is a pictorial representation of a fish hook:
the single point of consciousness we drop into the pool of the “great unconsciousness”
to see what is down there.
Like fishing,
we suspend ourselves in the great waters of the unconsciousness,
allowing the Akashic waters to surround us and flow through.
This concept is a reflection from the center of the Wheel,
only this time the boundaries of chaos are no longer there.
It is replaced by unlimited possibilities that reach beyond perception.

The first level reveals the position (the Empress) for the personal,
the second position (the Wheel) reveals the environment in which we work
and the third position demonstrates how we may apply what we have learned.

Knowing the present and past,
now visualize the future (the Empress).
The Wheel of Fortune defines the parameters of what is possible and what is not.The Star aides us with inspiration
and the ability to think beyond the parameters of normal thought.
The resonance between these three levels
provide a Visionary with the tools needed to imagine the future:
knowing what is appropriate and how to stretch boundaries.
Place these three cards together and observe the delicate balance produced.
Set these cards on your alter,
use them as meditations,
place them in your pocket
or wear the combination as amulets.